Disclaimer: All of the Sonicverse characters and places inserted into this story are owned by SEGA, and used without permission. All other characters and places mentioned belong to me.

Chapter 1: Depression

Spring had come early to Station Square this year. Compared to the harsh and cold winter that they had, this was truly a warm and welcoming change from the constant strong chilly winds and the freezing rain that came after every snow storm. Change was always both a good thing and a bad thing for people. But somehow that is what makes change so much fun. You just never know what to expect from change. From bad times there always came a positive change and from the good times there was always the chance of it becoming bad. Nothing in life or in time ever lasted for long on good terms. There many examples in history which proves that to be true. For the people of Station Square, it seemed that nothing but a long life of prosperity and happiness was to come. It seemed that everyone was being blessed with good tidings this year, everyone except for Amy.

As she wandered throughout the forest she began to reflect about the previous season and how at one point everything seemed promising. She had to leave the city, even if it was for a few hours. She had never felt so hurt or depressed as she was right now. It was so out of character for the young female hedgehog to be sad this long. Then again she had done a very good job of hiding her recent depression from everyone, that the only way anyone would have known is if they had been her. But who could she trust these days?

Amy paused for a moment as she noticed a diverse group of forest animals resting and drinking fresh cool water by a small pond out in the distance, some even playing with one another. The diversity of animals reminded her of her friends. All special and unique as the back drop of the setting sun made her realize that it was getting late. But starring at those animals all together made her soon realize that this was like her friendships was never going to last. She thought she had friends. She never doubted it until recently.

It began during the winter season. She could never forget how horrible that winter was even if she tried her damn hardest to. It was the day before Christmas and everyone had gathered inside Amy's warm and cozy home for her annual Christmas party. There were new faces this year along with the old ones. It just felt so welcoming and warm that no one wanted to leave. But that was always the case whenever anyone was in Amy's home. That is just how Amy was. She had the ability to make the gloomiest of places feel warm and welcoming.

It was also on that very day she had learned that Sonic the Hedgehog, the only other male that she had loved with all her heart and soul was seeing someone very special for quite sometime. He didn't even have the galls of letting her know about it. From what she had learned that devastating night was that he was in love with another female hedgehog that he himself had saved when Eggman had shamelessly attack the local downtown hospital.

Amy was most certainly heartbroken as well as severely devastated. It wasn't the fact that Sonic had fallen with someone other then her, it was more of a mind and emotional numbing shock then anyone could imagine. It was actually because Sonic himself had the nerve to tell her while they stood underneath the mistletoe at her Christmas party. Mistletoe, an infamous symbol of joy and love during this holiday season and Sonic was so brazen enough to destroy all meaning. She just assumed that from all the time that Sonic was spending with her, that he was finally ready to be with her and from all the times he tried to tell her something when they were alone and private she had assumed that he was trying to tell he loved her, but that was not the case. He was just trying to let her know that even though he cared for her, he just wanted to remain as friends and nothing more. She could remember how she wanted to run away from the party and from that spot, but she knew she could not even find the motivation to do so. She had guests and if she became selfish by copping with her own feelings then what kind of hostess would that make her. She did not want to bum everyone out, especially on the night before Christmas. But what even hurt more was that everyone knew long before she did.

Everyone else knew about her long before Sonic has mentioned it to her, but they had all made a vow to Sonic not to mention it to Amy until he was ready to tell her himself. That's how Sonic wanted it. He had thought that it would be best if Amy had heard it from him, considering the history they had. All through the party and up until now Amy kept an illusionary facade of how happy she was for Sonic. That she could not think of anyone better for him. But of course that was a total lie. She had loved him long before the entire world saw him as hero, but as a bothersome vigilante who took the law into his own hands. How she loved to see him happy even if it meant that she had no right to be in that equation. This feeling of pain and anguish was eating her up inside. She wanted to tell someone, but what good would that do for her. It would just make her out as a jealous and selfish bitch and a horrible person. She didn't want that reputation, especially one that would make her out as a hypocrite. They all knew about Sonic's girlfriend and still let her make a complete fool of herself by allowing her to continue wearing her feelings on her sleeve till that day at the party.

As of now she could truly understand that she was as Sonic had called her a "nuisance" and a "pain". She caused so many problems for him by being kidnapped and being dead weight on missions. How could she compare to anyone like Aeris. She was a doctor, she could help heal the sick and make their pain go away. She was useful on missions and did what Sonic said without any questions. She was indeed beautiful and dependable, everything Amy was not. She could even impress Sonic with her impressive cooking and gardening skills. A little miss perfect.

There were many things she wanted to say to Sonic about the entire situation, but she knew she could not bring herself to do so. She was afraid of Sonic yelling at her, saying that she was nothing more than jealous fan girl and that she was nothing more than a stalker who deserved whatever bad that was coming to her. Amy never in her entire life saw her self as a fan girl, but it was just one of those old childhood habits that just happened to hard to break. It was true she was jealous, but who wouldn't be if the one guy you have loved and longed for broke your heart.
Amy coughed a bit as small traces of blood splashed against her gloves. She stared at her gloved hand and assumed that it was nothing more than a symptom of the flu that was supposedly going around the entire city. Never in a million years did she assume that it would or could be something else, especially after she had finally caved into Sonic's constant pressuring for her to get a flu shot.

Sonic had made all of his friends get vaccinated on the first day of the new year. It had surprisingly taken him longer to persuade Amy to get one. He knew she was deathly terrified of needles, so of course it took him longer to get her vaccinated against this so called flu. By that time it was just yesterday that she had finally submitted to Sonic's constant pestering and allowed herself to get vaccinated. She remembered how happy Sonic was that she finally agreed. He cared about his friends and would do anything to see them well. Even though it was not her job, Sonic had thought it would be best if Aeris had preformed the injection, instead of some unfamiliar nurse at the hospital. Plus it would also give them time to get to know each other. She remembered how Sonic beamed at the thought of his two best girls (his girlfriend, and his best friend who was a girl), getting along.

All Amy could remember from that day in that private hospital room was an uncomfortable and unwanted feeling being there. It was Aeris' office, but even though it was your typical warm and welcoming doctor's office it just felt terribly off to her. The long silence was unbearable, almost creepy, that when Amy tried to start a conversation with Aeris, she had slammed the needle forcibly into her arm leaving a huge noticeable bruise on her left arm from where she stuck the needle. She wanted to scream that day, but stifled herself only allowing a few tears to fall. Amy did not want to give Aeris the pleasure of hearing her scream, and if she did she probably make something up if Sonic, who was standing right outside, came in. Amy was certain that if she herself had told Sonic then he would have yelled at her. Calling her crazy and wanting her out of his life and from the ways things were she would not be at all surprised.

Sonic was becoming more protective of his new girlfriend and less protective of Amy. He had even broken many promises to Amy in the past month that she could not bring herself to talk to him about it, many of which resulted in Amy walking home late at night as she felt abandoned and scared for her life. There was even one night when she had walked home from her job at the market when she was attacked and mugged. Lucky for her, her attacker didn't go any further. That was something she could never imagine her handling well, even under the current circumstances that she was in. She never told Sonic or anyone about it. Amy just believed that they wouldn't care or think of it as a big deal.

Amy shivered as a cold breeze had engulfed her as she was making her way back home. At least there she would be safe and could find some kind of peace of mind. She just wish she didn't feel so alone or even forgotten by her friends. At least at home she could rest because right now she felt as if she was coming down with a terrible cold.